The hardest choice to make
by Pipeline
Summary: Shori accidentally gets sucked into the alternate world when searching for Yuuri after a huge fight, and suddenly he has to cope with the fact that his little brother is the Demon King, engaged to a boy and the surrogate father of a small, but very feisty
1. A ride to another world

**Rated:** T for language, mild nudity and mild violence

**Pairing:** Yuuri and Wolfram

**Disclaimer:** Kyo Kara Maoh! does not belong to me, but it is one of my absolute favorite animes (and recently a quite desperate obsession, hehe :P) and I just _have_ to write a fanfic about it!

**Summary:** Shori accidentally gets sucked into the alternate world when searching for Yuuri after a huge fight, and suddenly he has to cope with the fact that his little brother is the Demon King, engaged to a boy and the surrogate father of a small, but very feisty girl. Will he ever be able to look at Yuuri in the same way again?

**Author's note:** This is my first Kyo Kara Maoh! fanfic, so please bear with me, tell me what you think of it and enjoy! :D

* * *

**A ride to another world**

**Spring in Tokyo; the start of a new school year**

Most days start out as boringly and excruciatingly _usual_ as is absolutely possible, and most of those days also continue in the same repetitive patterns and prevail in being normal to such an extent that you start to _hate_ normal. Normal is what makes you kick out in frustration, neglect to chew your food properly and utimately gives you a hell of an ulcer. Eventually you start to _wish_ that something - anything - out of the ordinary could happen to break the unbearable pattern that you are stuck in against your will. Most people never get their wishes heard and go on in the same way as they have always done - and a few of course realize that the only way to break the mould is to break it yourself. But some people, although not many, admittedly, get their wishes heard - and heeded. Some people are lucky. Or, are they really?

* * *

Shibuya Yuuri sighed and slumped on the surface of his desk, his ear pressed against the cold wood and his arms stretched out over the front edge of the desk. "Why can't this day _end_ already?!" he moaned complainingly and let out a prolonged whining noise of utter boredom. He had baseball practice that afternoon, and he was totally looking forward to some excercise in comparison to this dull, sitting-behind-a-desk-and-listening-to-a-teacher's-preachings-while-pretending-to-take-notes routine that was getting more and more familiar to him and his fellow classmates. What was going wrong with the school system lately? He suddenly found himself longing to get back to his kingdom and all his friends in his other world - his second home - and the crazy adventures that they always had together.

_Yeah_, he thought and sat up straight in his chair, suddenly determined to take matters into his own hands. _A little adventure is exactly what I need right now! And it won't affect either my grades or baseball practice, because I'll just return to he same moment I left anyway._ His mind now set, he rose from his desk.

"Shibuya!" the teacher immediately noted. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I need to use the bathroom, sensei," he said without caring much for the politeness and the respect that his teacher demanded of him, and which was expected of him to display. He began to move towards the door without even waiting for a reply.

"That is all very well, Shibuya-kun, but you could at least ask nicely and respectfully before leaving the room!" the teacher pointed out, trying to sound intimidating and awe-inspiring, but failing completely. Although it was only late March it had already gotten quite hot, and it was affecting students and teachers alike. Nobody really had the energy to put any real strength or passion into their statements or actions.

Yuuri just left the room and walked down the hall to the men's room. Once he was inside he checked that all the stalls were empty, and that he was alone. Then he went back to the door and peered out into the hallway once more. It was empty, so he saw no risk in being seen as he left this world and entered the other. Nervous, he slapped his hands together and rubbed them against each other for a while. "Let's see..." He turned on one of the fausets and plugged the washbasin shut. The water slowly began to fill up.

_Now what?_

When the washbasin was almost completely full he started to feel urgent, certain that he would not have the benefit of being alone much longer... Shrugging, he stuck his head into the washbasin, anticipating the swirling, tickling feeling of being flushed into a great abyss - but nothing happened. He stayed like that, with his head underwater, for a minute, but nothing still happened. His heart was starting to pound harder and more determinedly in his chest, and his throat began to ache funnily. He would have to lift his head out of the water soon, but he still wanted to give it a few more seconds to work.

Still nothing.

Then all of a sudden he heard a muffled, sort of distant shout and thought, _It must be Wolfram realizing that I'm on my way and rushing to the point where I'll show up to greet me properly_, but then someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him out of the water with force and urgency.

"No!" he exclaimed as a reflex and flailed his arms in the direction of the full washbasin.

"What in the world are you _doing_, young man!?" an all too familiar voice said close to his ear, and to his great disappointment it was not Wolfram. He swallowed hard as he understood that he was in trouble.

It was the teacher. What an irony.

"Are you completely out of your mind, Shibuya-san!?" the teacher prompted, shock written all over his face. He shook him violently. "Why were you trying to drown yourself in the washbasin?!"

Yuuri blinked sheepishly at him. "Huh, what...?" he muttered.

"Why were you trying to drown yourself?" the teacher repeated, now starting to sound really angry and accusatory.

"But I wasn't trying to drown myself!" he objected offendedly, and grasping for some sort of excuse that would explain his weird behavior added, "I was just trying to cool down a bit!"

"Cool down a bit? Yes, I bet that is what all of you suicidal little troublemakers claim! Principal's office - now!"

"But--!"

"_Now!_"

Yuuri had no choice but to follow his teacher's order and shuffle down to the principal's office two floors below. Outside the door, he slumped down in a tattered chair and moped. After a few minutes the teacher came hurrying through the corridor until he had went past him and knocked on the door before opening it and bowing, "Shitsurei shimasu." (_Excuse me for interrupting._)

Furthermore Yuuri waited outside the principal's office while the teacher explained the situation to the principal. Yuuri groaned irritatedly. Why did this have to happen to him!? And on _this_ day nonetheless...

Why had it not worked? Why hadn't he gone to the Demon Kingdom as he was supposed to do when exposed to water? Had he done something wrong? Had he somehow disrupted the flow between this world and the other when he had tried to travel there of his own accord, and of his own choice? Maybe it only worked when he was _forced_ to against his will? Maybe the Great One was a devilish old badger who loved to mess with other people's lives and had a good laugh every time Yuuri was sucked into the alternate world out of the blue? Or did his inability to enter his second home originate from something more sinister than that? Maybe something had gone wrong over there... Maybe the portal or whatever it was that brought him from here to there had been sealed due to an invasion of his precious country? What if his people were in danger?!

"I have to do something!" he cried out with determination, shooting up from the chair with his right arm thrust high into the air in a king's gesture of loyalty and pure wish to protect his people from evil.

In that very moment, the door to the principal's office opened and a very baffled principal and an indignated teacher took a step into the corridor. Yuuri stopped dead right in the middle of his omage to the loyal people of the Demon Kingdom (who may or may not be in grave danger) and suddenly felt very stiff, embarrassed and silly. They had seen him thrust up his arm like that! Now they were bound to think he was crazy or something... And together with the fact that they thought he had just attempted suicide they would probably lock him up in a storage room without windows (or washbasins) and call the mental hospital to tell them to come pick him up.

"Shibuya-san, please be kind and step into my office," the principal offered stiffly, and stepped aside to allow Yuuri to pass.

Stunned, Yuuri walked past his teacher and took a seat in the chair that the princpal indicated for him. Confused by this whole situation, he turned to his teacher and asked, "Shouldn't you get back to class? They might be destroying the classroom, you know. You should be more careful with your things here."

The teacher snorted indignatedly and stubbornly looked the other way, his arms crossed over his chest. Somehow it reminded Yuuri of Wolfram...

For a second he felt a sting in his chest. A feeling that was difficult to define briefly fluttered through him. _What was that?_

"Shibuya-san," the principle said and effectively gained Yuuri's attention. "Please tell me what is bothering you. What made you decide to do what you did today?"

Yuuri blinked. The principle was looking at him expecting some sort of answer, but Yuuri could not understand what the question was. Only ten minutes ago he had quietly begged for something to _happen_, but this was not quite what he had pictured. "Eh..." he began, "I am not sure what you're talking about, kouchou..."

The principal leaned forward on his desk and fixed his gaze on Yuuri's. "Shibuya-san, you tried to kill yourself. That is a very serious action, and I am aware that there must be some sort of reason behind what you did, but you need to understand that what you did was _wrong_. Suicide does not solve anything, and if you are in trouble of any kind we are more than happy to help you, of course." Again, that glint of expectation in his spectacled eyes. He wanted something specific out of Yuuri, some magical words that would erase this whole incident and make things go back to the way they were, but he had no idea what those words might be.

"Kouchou, I'm sorry, but I'm sure there must be some sort of mistake," he said, feeling a bead of sweat slowly starting to trickle down his forehead. "I haven't tried to kill myself."

The principal's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Your teacher found you with your head immerged in water, and you didn't seem to have any intention of pulling it back out of there."

"I was just trying to cool off," Yuuri tried to convince him, "you know, because of the warmth. I used the bathroom, and then I felt like I needed some cooling off. That's all."

A tiny, pitying smile traced the thin lips that formed the principal's mouth. "That sounds awfully like a troubled kid's self-delusions," he said gently. "You're just trying to get out of here as soon as possible so you can try it again, but we're not gonna let you do that. I called your Mom, and she will be here to pick you up shortly."

Yuuri pulled back his chair and stood up violently. "You can't do that! You're wrong, you're both wrong! I didn't try to kill myself! What, do you think I'm stupid or something?!"

"Shibuya-san, please calm down..."

"No! I will not calm down! This is wrong, you can't just call my Mom and say stuff like that! I have _not_ tried to kill myself!"

"I am sure she will give you whatever support you need--"

"I _did not_ try to _kill_ myself!"

"I am very glad to hear that, Yuu-chan," his mother's voice suddenly said from behind him, instantly compelling him to turn towards the sound of her worried voice, at once making him wish that he hadn't because he just could not bear the pained, tear-filled look on her beautiful face, "but I think we need to have a talk, you and me. Would you please come home with me, Yuu-chan?"

He felt powerless in her presence in that moment, and so he quietly nodded and followed her out of the office. He walked behind her in silence until they reached the car, and only when he had got in the backseat, his mother sitting down next to him with his left hand tightly squeezed between her both, did he realize that his brother was there too. "Shori..." he said faintly, feeling both guilty and appalled when it dawned on him that his older brother had heard the news, too.

Shori refused to look at him, but simply stared stubbornly out the windshield and drove out of the school parking lot. None of them said a single word on the way home, and Yuuri was starting to feel anxious when neither mother nor bother said anything to him or looked at him as they walked into the house.

"Um, guys..."

Suddenly Shori slammed his hands down on the kitchen table. Yuuri jumped. His brother was shaking, his hands in tightly clenched fists on the table, his head bowed, which made it difficult for Yuuri to see the expression on his face.

"Eh, Shori...?" he said cautiously.

Shori looked at him with burning eyes. "You selfish bastard!" he shouted and came at Yuuri, grabbed him by the collar. "Have you any idea what your mother and I felt when your school called and told us about your suicide attempt?! What the hell were trying to accomplish, anyway?! Was it to gain attention? You sick little bastard...!"

Yuuri tried to wrench loose. "What?! No! What the fuck do you think of me, Shori?! I would never do anything as stupid and unhoughtful as that - you should know that!"

"Liar!" Shori barked. "Lately you've been like that all the time, keeping more and more to yourself and going out to see friends when someone in the family wanted to do something together with you, and you care less and less about your family, who put the food on your table, give you clothes to wear and work hard to keep a roof over your head! But what do you ever do to thank them for that, huh? Huh? And then you go and do something like this... Trying to drown yourself _in a sink_!?"

"It was a washbasin actually, but that's beside the point," Yuuri pointed out, "I didn't try to commit suicide - I am perfectly fine with being alive, thank you, and I have way too many things to live for to go and kill myself just like that. If I died in a war, well... that would be a whole different story."

Shori frowned in confusion. "A war? Why would you die in a war? It's not like you're gonna be exposed to one..."

"Might be," Yuuri objected, "there are uprises sometimes, and the regents of the other countries can be quite power-crazy sometimes, so..." He was starting to think about his constant struggles with keeping the peace in the Demon Kingdom and its surroundings and temporarily forgot about the current situation.

Shori blinked. "Uprises? Regents of other countries?" Then he became even more angry. "Are you mocking me?! You selfish, insufferable, demonic little asshole! You think you're being funny!?"

"What? No!"

"You think it's funny to 'try and kill yourself' and make your family scared half to death, huh?!"

"No! And I wasn't trying to kill myself! I was just trying to go to Wolfram and the others!"

"Worufuramu? Who the heck is that? You're just trying to confuse me to get out of trouble!"

Shori's grip on his collar tightened, and he was actually getting a slight difficulty breathing. He turned to his mother in desperation, tears burning in the corners of his eyes. "Mom! You must know that I'm telling the truth, right? You know where Dad came from - you know about Conrad! Mom, please!"

His mother looked stricken. If he had not imagined it his mother had just started at his mentioning of Conrad, and he finally felt a tiny hope of being believed. He pleaded with her with his eyes and hoped that that was enough. Then she smiled bravely and nodded. "Yes. Yes I understand," she said.

"What!?" Shori swirled around to look at their mother, and Yuuri was ruthlessly flung along. "You can't be serious, Okaa-san! He's spouting a whole truckload of bullshit, and you _believe_ him?!"

"If he has met Conrad, then I believe him," she confirmed, back to her normal self.

For a moment Shori did not know what to say, obviously.

"Nii-chan, could you please let go of my shirt?" Yuuri begged.

Shori once more bore his eyes into Yuuri's, and they were cold and black with fury. "I am no brother of yours," he said cruelly, letting him go as if disgusted by him. "I don't even know who you are. Now get out of here before I do anything I might regret."

It was as if Shori had stuck a knife through Yuuri's heart. A paralyzing nausea surged through him and made him temporarily faint. Then his eyes began to sting, too, because of all the tears that had assembled there. He could not believe that Shori, his own brother, had actually said that to him. The pain of it was worse than anything else he had ever felt. Nodding slowly, with his lips pressed into a thin line, he said, "Okay. If that's how you want it. I'll get out of your sight." And with those words he turned on his heel and hurried out of the house. He ignored his mother's cries. He just needed to get away from there, as far away from Shori as possible.

Up and down streets he ran until he could not run any more. Out of breath, he bent over and supported himself on his thighs while drawing quick breaths of air. "Ano baka!" (_That jerk!_) He was too hot from running all that way: He took off his school uniform jacket and hung it on a railing separating the sidewalk from the grass lawn of the park at which he had arrived.

A tear fell from his eye and landed on the ground.

_Plip._

Surprised, he looked down to find that he was standing in a small puddle of water. Apparently there had been some rain in this part of town some time ago. He did not have time to think any more about that, because in that very instant something seemed to stretch up out of the puddle and grab him by the ankles and _drag him_ down into the water. "_Oh nooooo!_" He had not been prepared and was not experiencing a slightly nauseating rollercoaster effect as he swirled down through abyss after abyss of dark water until he was spat out in the castle bath. Soaked, he dragged himself out of the hot, steaming water and onto the hard stone floor. Luckily no one had taken a bath as he arrived, and he had a moment of solitude before he would have to face his friends. Shori's betrayal still stung in him, and he longed to spill his guts to someone and get some consolation.

A few minutes later he walked through the stone hallways of the castle until he reached his room. He found it odd that he did not bump into anyone on his way up there, but was too tired to think much of it. He longed to throw himself down on the bed and take a nap. This afternoon's events had stolen away a lot of his energy. Good thing that the castle was dark inside...

He dragged his heavy feet up to the bed and dropped onto it, but it didn't quite feel as the soft, comfortable bed that he was used to in Covenant Castle. And it certainly did not talk to him.

Yet now it was screaming, "Oooooowww!"

Something wriggled out from underneath him and an instant later he could feel cold iron pressed to his throat. "Who's there?!" the mattress demanded.

Yuuri, who was so tired that he could not quite grasp the situation and tell inanimate objects apart from live ones, still felt cold, desperate fear when he realized that someone was holding a dagger to his throat in the dark. Should the castle really be _this_ dark this time of day? But he recognized the voice, and so this whole situation didn't add up to him. "Wo-Wo-Wolfram?" he stuttered uncertainly, sweat dripping down his face.

The dagger was immediately retracted. "Yuuri?"

So it _was_ Wolfram. For the first time ever Yuuri was actually relieved at the fact that Wolfram was in his bed. "Oh, Wolfram... I am so glad to see you," he exhaled, not really bearing in mind that he actually _couldn't_ see him.

Wolfram embraced him in the dark. "Yuuri! What are you doing here? No one was expecting you back this soon..."

Yuuri actually smiled sarcastically. "What, you're not happy to have me back?"

"Of course I am! That's not what I meant! I am very happy to have you back here, Yuuri, you belong here with me!" Wolfram hastily spurted.

Yuuri chuckled. "Relax, I'm just kidding." He looked around the dark room. "Why is it so dark? It's not even evening yet..."

"What are you talking about?" Wolfram wondered in lack of understanding. "It's in the middle of the night, I was sleeping..."

"What? But when I left Japan it was three in the afternoon... I thought I was supposed to arrive at the same time of day here as it was in my world when I left it..."

"You really surprised me, showing up like this," Wolfram cut in, "you hardly just left. You slipped into the fountain earlier this evening, and now you're back... I hardly had time to miss you."

"I'm sorry, did you say 'earlier this evening'?"

"Yes. It hasn't even been a day since you left."

They were both silent for a while.

"Something's up," Yuuri said with conviction. "Something's fishy."

"Yes, this certainly is odd," Wolfram agreed.

Yuuri rubbed his temples. "Ooohh, I am _so_ tired!" he complained in a prolonged moan.

Wolfram drew him into his arms again. "Then come lie down with me and have some sleep," he cooed. "We can't do anything about this before morning, anyway."

Yuuri mumbled his agreement. After all this time he had grown accustomed to having Wolfram sleeping next to him in his bed, so he did not react at all to the blond's statement. That was one of the definite upsides to an oldfashioned country: Nobody made any passes or advancements before it was appropriate.

So Yuuri lay down under the quilt and closed his sandy eyes. He even let Wolfram snuggle a little closer.

* * *

When Yuuri did not return home that night their mother was incredulous and forced Shori out to search for him, something Shori didn't feel like at all after his little brother's display of total lack of respect and discipline earlier in the day. But he did not have much of a say when it came to their mother: She could be scary when she was determined about something. So he went out into the night to search for his ungrateful brother.

How he was supposed to find him was another story entirely, though. This was a big city, and he only had so much time.

Minutes became hours, and there was of course no sign of Yuuri anywhere. He was ready to give up when he noticed something fluttering in the corner of his eye. As he turned towards it he saw that it was a jacket or jumper of some sort. Feeling a hint of ominousness, he slowly went over there to have a closer look, at the same time dreading to find that his fear was justified. Hanging on the railing separating the sidewalk from the park lawns was Yuuri's school uniform jacket - he was sure of it. It fluttered lazily in the breeze.

Shori stiffened. Yuuri would not just abandon his jacket like that. Something must have happened to him. He reached out his hand and grabbed the jacket - and at the same time a weird spinning sensation filled him and he _fell_ into the puddle of water that he was standing in, falling, falling...

...until he was suddenly sitting in a tiny fish pond at the edges of a strange city. There was something so utterly anachronistic, so utterly _alien_ about that city that he cried out in panic and scrambled to his feet, slipped on the muddy bottom of the fish pond and ran away from there in blind fear, certain that he had somehow fainted from the realization that his brother must have been abducted and was now stuck in a fantasy created by a very, very confused mind. And then he realized that it was day time. It had been night just a moment ago. And if this really was but a feverish dream... how could he possibly be imagining such a strange and mideival-looking city in such perfect detail?

"What the fuck _is_ this place?!"


	2. A flaw in time?

**A flaw in time?**

**The Demon Kingdom, high summer**

"Nnnnnnggh..."

Yuuri woke from a fuzzy-warm, pleasant dream, but didn't really want to get up from the nice soft bed to face the new day's responsibilities. He wanted just a few more moments of that blissful warmth and wanted to enjoy that comforting, loving embrace just a little bit longer...

Hang on a minute... _loving embrace??_

Instantly wide awake when he realized that the embrace was not part of a dream but Wolfram clinging to him in his sleep he shot up into sitting position with a shriek. Since Wolfram's arms were wrapped around his upper body and Wolfram's tousled, blond head was resting peacefully against his shoulder as he did so he gave the sleeping boy quite a hard knock over the head. He came awake with a "Waaahh!" and quickly sat up, too. He rubbed the sore spot on the side of his head and glared furiously at Yuuri. "What the hell was _that_ good for?!" he growled.

Yuuri scratched the back of his head embarrassedly. "Oh, ehm... sorry, Wolfram, I didn't mean to hit you," he mumbled nervously. The blond's pink nightgown made him feel uneasy. Sharing a bed with him like that... he still did not like it. And Wolfram's taste in night wear did not really help him to forget the fact that Wolfram was his fiancé. Even though almost an entire year had passed since he first came to the Demon Kingdom and learned of his fate as king there were still things he had difficulties getting used to. He guessed that shouldering the responsibility of leading an entire nation came with more hardships, impossible choices and burdens than parties, carefree days and easy-come happiness for his people. Being engaged to a boy was one of those hard-to-accept things. He was used to always having Wolfram by his side, used to him proclaiming his love for him, and even used to him living with him in his personal quarters, but he did not think that he would ever get used to the idea of sharing more than that with him. Still, he would love to be able to break the engagement and go back to having somewhat of a normal life, even in this _un_normal world, but he _had_ said that he would never in his life take it back... Not knowing exactly _what_ it was that he would never in his life take back didn't automatically mean that his vow was invalid and therefore annuled.

Wolfram blinked sourly at him. "What?"

Yuuri jerked. "Oh, nothing, nothing! Haha! Anyway, should we get down to breakfast or something? Ehe..."

Ten minutes later they were walking down the hall together, Wolfram still a bit pouty about the whole hit-on-the-head thing, but Yuuri had already forgotten all about it. His thoughts were on the previous day. Why had he been called back to the Demon Kingdom so soon after getting home? And why didn't Wolfram know about it? It was always Ulrike, through the power of the Great One, who called him to the Demon Kingdom when his presence was required, and tidings of his imminent arrival was always brought to Covenant Castle first thing. So how could it be that Wolfram had not heard of his coming back when Wolfram was the one most determined to stay updated on everything concerning Yuuri? Could it be that someone else was behind his trip there? Someone with a hidden agenda... But how could that even be possible? Ulrike had clearly said that the only one with the power strong and pure enough to magically transport him between his two worlds was the Great One, the first Maou. So then, how...?

"You seem troubled," Wolfram observed. "It is not like you."

Yuuri kept walking in silence for a while, a scowl slowly making an appearance on his face. "I have an odd feeling," he admitted to his fiancé as they turned a corner in the hall. "I dont know what it is, but I'm sensing that it will have a significant impact on life in the Demon Kingdom somehow."

Wolfram frowned. "Are you sensing an uproar or a war possibly breaking out or anything like that?" he wondered.

"I don't know." Anything could be possible, it was just a feeling at the moment. But he intended to keep his eyes and ears open for anything that might give him a clue as to what felt _so wrong_. He also intended to ask Günter and Gwendal increase the number of guards around the castle and in the town, just in case. "Toriaesu..." (_But for now..._) he mumbled as he spotted Günter moving towards them further down the hall, "... let's keep this as silent as possible and remain alert for anything out of the ordinary. At the moment we need not worry about any dangers." He could feel Wolfram's surprised and inquiring gaze on him. It made Yuuri smurked with a somewhat bitter but pleasant touch. Wolfram was not expecting him to be so assertive and astute. In his eyes, Yuuri was still the whimp that he had fallen for. But the truth was that Yuuri has risen to his office and begun his transformation into the king that he was meant to be for his people.

Günter had almost reached them, but he seemed to be so deep in thoughts that he did not notice them. Yuuri struck up a blinding smile, both to greet his friend and to hide his dark broodings and the intense degree of his concern. "Ohayou, Günter!" he said merrily.

"Ohayou gozaimasu, Heika," (_Good morning, Your Majesty_) he replied curteously and continued along past them before realizing what had actually happened. As he became aware of Yuuri's presence he swirled around in a flurry of robes and looked at him with his mouth wide in surprise. "Heika! Doushite koko ni!?" (_Your Majesty! What are you doing here!?_) he exclaimed before coming to his senses. "Iya, (_No I mean,_) how come you have returned to us so soon again without any notice? Has something happened? Is something the matter? Are you all right? Are you hurt any way? Did Ulrike send for you? Is there something going on in the Demon Kingdom that we have yet not heard of? Will you be staying for dinner tonight? Shall I alert the cooks and have them prepare a welcome back feast for you tonight, Heika?" Günter skipped around him in circles, checking his body for cuts or bruises as he asked him if he was hurt, a distraught, eager-to-please, theatrical expression on his beautiful, flawless face. He hovered like a helicopter around Yuuri, making him dizzy as he tried to follow his teacher's movements. "Eeeh, Günter!" he pleaded. "Could you stop with the third degree!? And stay still, I'm getting nauseous!"

Günter immediately stopped in front of him and bowed deeply. "Mou shiaki arimasen, Heika," (_I have no excuse, Your Majesty_) he said remorsefully, and there was a hint of imminent tears in his slightly quavering voice. "I didn't mean to upset you or make you nauseous in any way. If you are disgusted by the sight of me I will forever hide away in a tower room and never step into your point of view again for as long as I live! I, Günter von Christ, is your eternal and loyal servant! My love for you alone will keep me alive as I wither away in that castle tower and watch the days go by from a tiny window crack! Oh, Heika!"

A bead of sweat appeared on Yuuri's forehead. "Eh, Günter, there is no need to get so drastic..."

"Oi!" Wolfram spurted angrily at the same time. "What are you saying about love for Yuuri!? Nobody loves Yuuri more than me! I'm his fiancé, so you just stand back and know your place, von Christ-kyou!"

Yuuri wanted to shrink through the ground. "O-futari tomo..." (_You two..._)

"Mou shiaki arimasen!"

"Back off!"

"There is nothing I can do to excuse my thoughtless behavior! I beg for you to forgive me, Heika!"

"Oi! It's not him you should apologize to!"

"Onegai... tomaro..." (_Please... stop it..._)

"Mou shiaki arimasen, von Bielefeld-samaaaa!"

"Urusee!" (_Shut up!_)

"Mou..." (_Enough already..._)

"_Heikaaaaaa!!_"

* * *

Shori felt faint, shaking from head to foot as he slowly walked towards the city, every step giving him the image of his feet growing bigger and heavier, making his advancement harder. Stunned mute, feeling afraid in a way he had never felt afraid before, he surveyed his new surroundings, marvelling at the very fact that such a place existed. He was awed by the old-looking houses, the weird fashion of the townsfolk, the strange-sounding language and the amazing scenery beyond the walls of the city. He did not know if he should go into town or turn and walk the other way, away from all the strangeness and into the at least slightly familiar nature. Whatever this place was it had the same grass, the same blue sky and the same blazing sun as the ones he was used to from Earth.

_Hang on... Why did I just think "Earth"?_ he wondered silently to himself, feeling some sort of shiver of dark realization pass through him from top to bottom and then back up again, taking up residence in his chest and thereby alone forming a tight knot that pained him. This place was so utterly alien to what he was used to that he was almost starting to believe that he had been miraculously transported to another universe. Currently that was the only explanation to what was happening to him that he could come up with, and it did not really reassure him. The shiver-creature was still snuggling inside his chest, making it real cosy for himself.

A violent fury suddenly took him in its grasp. If it had not been for Yuuri and his silly attempt to commit suicide followed by his uncalled for flight from their house this never would have happened. If Yuuri had only used his head instead of letting himself be completely controlled by foolish impulses Shori would still be inside his familiar, friendly home reading the newspaper or something equally trivial - he would not be stuck in some fantasy world wondering what the hell would happen to him next. He would be _safe_.

"Damn Yuuri," he muttered to himself between clenched teeth. "When I get my hands on him..."

But the problem was that he did not know if he would ever again see his brother, or anyone else that he knew or cared about either for that matter. He may never find his way back home again. He may be stuck in this alien place forever with no way of telling his family and friends what had become of him.

"Kaa-san..." he whispered faintly as he realized that his mother would be worried sick when neither he nor Yuuri returned home. One brother disappearing as he was searching for the other... It would be a mystery - and he _hated_ mysteries.

After much hesitation he decided to go into town anyway and have a look around. Maybe he would be able to find someone who spoke English and ask for directions to the nearest airport. It would of course be a problem to actually get a ticket since they probably did not take Japanese currency, but he convinced himself that his excellent rhetorical skills would make them forget about that little detail and let him fly back to Japan for free. Yeah, that was definitely doable! He had once talked himself out of paying for a root canal, so...

The city was amazing! It was like stepping right into 16th century Europe or something! He gawked at the buildings, marvelling at the architectural style of these people. And their clothes! He had never seen anything like it. He was clearly somewhere in the West, because the fashion of this place was definitely Western in style. There was no sign of cars in the streets, and some people were riding on horses for Christ's sake! Could it really be that these people didn't have cars? That they lacked in technological skills? The roads were not paved; they were either dirt roads or cobbled. Strange. Women were walking around with baskets under their arms, doing their daily shopping, their little ones running around their legs. So no day care? No public schools? How did these people learn?

After a while of strolling down what seemed to be the main street of the town it was as if people suddenly noticed that there was someone in their midst who were not supposed to be there. And when people looked at him they got some sort of glint in their eyes, but not a good one. It was as if a shadow came over them: They stiffened with anticipation, their postures became cowering, their eyes filled with a fear that was so forthright and so stark that Shori jerked as if slapped. _What the...?_ Suddenly people were backing away from him. _In fear._ Why were they afraid of him? The women were speaking urgently to their children, holding their arms around them protectively and quickly moving them off the street, into the relative safety of the nearby houses. But _why_? The simple fact that he was a stranger in this town should not inspire such a terror in the townsfolk...

And then the soldiers came.

* * *

The atmosphere was a bit strained at the breakfast table due to what had just transpired between Wolfram and Günter. Gwendal was already sitting at the table when they arrived, and if he was at all surprised at seeing Yuuri there he showed no sign of it. He just stared grumpily into his food, as always. Yuuri felt a bit uncomfortable sitting there in the oppressive silence and felt compelled to say something - anything. "Where is Lady Celi?" he asked between bites.

"Out on her journey for free love, remember," Wolfram replied with a stingy tone that immediately made Yuuri feel worse.

"Oh, right... that's how it was..." He stuffed his mouth full of bread and decided not to say any more.

"Can I assume this will be a longer stay?"

Yuuri looked up, his spirits rising at the moment he heard the warm, familiar voice. "Conrad!"

The swordsman smiled down at him affectionately. "Okaeri, Heika," (_Welcome home, Your Majesty_) he said pleasantly, whereupon he took a seat next to Gwendal across the table from Yuuri. "How was your stay on Earth?" he then asked as if "Earth" was an exotic island where people of Shin Makoku went for vacation or something.

"Average," Yuuri answered with a grin. "But I wasn't there so long, only five days. But that was enough to bring me back into the state of boring conformity of Japanese schools. I missed the Great Demon Kingdom and all the people here."

This made Wolfram wake up from his semi-moping state and lean in closer to Yuuri. "You did? And who did you miss most?" he demanded eagerly.

Yuuri began to squirm. "Eh, did you really have to make it into a popularity contest again...?"

"But I have a right to know! I am your fiancé, and I ought to be the one you miss the most when you are away from home!"

"So you say, but..."

"But what?! Tch," Wolfram snorted and leaned back against the back of his chair, crossing his arms defiantly in front of himself. "I swear, if I didn't know you better I'd think that proposal had only been accidental..."

Yuuri almost choked on a piece of bread and began to cough violently.

"Heika!" Günter exclaimed. "Are you all right? Shall I send for Giesela?"

Yuuri quickly shook his head. "No," he croaked between coughs, "I'm fine. I just... swallowed a too big piece..."

He noticed that Conrad was looking at him with an amused expression on his face, and that made Yuuri feel even more embarrassed about the whole thing. He held Conrad's opinion of him in very high regard, and he definitely did not want him to think him a fool. He was the king, and not the jester. He hoped that they would one day be able to see him as that without having the slightest bit of doubt in their hearts. He wanted to make this country a safe and happy place to live, and he also wanted to bring peace to the surrounding countries and forever keep war outside their doors.

"Why did you come here again?" Gwendal suddenly asked in his deep, intimidating bass.

They all turned to him inquiringly. It was difficult to discern the full meaning of that question since Gwendal uttered it with such indifference. Yuuri did not quite know how to answer him.

"There was no advance notice of your imminent return to Shin Makoku," Gwendal elaborated, "yet here you are, as if you never left."

Yuuri and Wolfram exchanged a meaning look. With that one gaze they mutually decided not to mention their conversation that morning, but to keep it to themselves until they had found out more. Yuuri was surprised by a strengthening and special feeling of communion with Wolfram as they created this secret together. It empowered him, having that special connection to Wolfram. And he could see in those emerald-green eyes that the blonde shared his sentiments.

"I don't know," he said to Gwendal with a stoic, upfront disposition. "I was sucked into a pool of water on the sidewalk, and next thing I knew I was back here."

Wolfram frowned with incomprehension. " 'Sidewalk'? What's a 'sidewalk'? And why would anyone want to walk sideways, anyway?"

"Ehh... Anyway, Wolfram told me I came back the same night I left, so maybe that's the reason nobody's heard of it yet. Maybe the Great One didn't want Ulrike to disturbe you all in the middle of the night."

Gwendal glared at him harshly, almost accusatory. "I am glad to hear you have faith in your people's consideration for others, but nobody would mind receiving such a messanger even in the middle of the night. We live to serve the king. Every single one of us would go out of their way for the king."

Yuuri's spirits sank somewhat. "You see, that's what I'm still having a hard time getting used to... Why would anyone go out of their way for _me?_ I am just another person, like anyone else. There is nothing special about me whatsoever, except for the fact that I bear what you call a 'special soul'. My soul was destined to be the next Maou. But that doesn't mean I'm not a normal person just like any of you."

That conversation was still troubling Yuuri as they walked to the shrine to talk to Ulrike and clear up this whole thing. He thought of his mother, and of Shori... Shori who had gone ballistic over his supposed "suicide attempt" and treated him like some sort of trator... A sting of hurt pride and throbbing anger pulsated through Yuuri as he recalled what Shori had yelled at him the previous day. _I hope he regrets it now that I'm gone_, he thought spitefully, but then he remembered that no time passed on Earth when he was in the alternate world. Shori would never even know that he had been gone, even if he stayed in Shin Makoku for years and years. But wait... if he _did_ stay there for years and years, wouldn't he age and scare everyone back home half to death when he returned like minutes or seconds after leaving and looked several years older than when he left? Not that they would actually _know_ that he had left somewhere...

He shook his head violently. "This is really confusing," he said to himself.

"Hm? What is?" Wolfram, who was walking next to him, asked.

Yuuri scratched the back of his head nervously. "Ah, hahaha! Nandemo nai!" (_Nothing!_) Then he slumped like a defeated athletic who had just run a thousand meters and come in last, his shoulders slumping and his arms hanging limp in front of him. _Haaa... this is really tiring me out..._

They reached the shrine and were gained permission to enter. Ulrike was standing at the end of the candled walkway as always, and she seemed to be expecting them. Her smile was so pure, innocent and loving - _accepting_ - that it could make any person forget about his or her grudges and just _be_. "Welcome back home, Heika," she said pleasantly and bowed slightly.

Yuuri bowed in return. "Thank you, Ulrike."

Conrad stepped in and took control over the conversation. "We came here wondering if you could tell us why the Great One called Heika back so soon after his departure from the Great Demon Kingdom?"

Ulrike merely smiled at him as if all ought to be clear to them. "Because he is needed here at this time," she explained humbly. "He was sent back to the world where he was born to get a chance to see his family before what is destined to happen in Shin Makoku. He needed to draw strength from his family in order to get through the events awaiting him, which will be testing his courage and his character and ultimately strengthen his role as ruler of this country."

Yuuri blinked. That was _a lot_ of information! And all spoken in riddles, as was usual with Ulrike. It was hard for him to completely take in the hinted meaning of those words.

But his companions seemed more capable at that task.

"What kind of trials are we talking about?" Conrad asked. "Will His Majesty's safety be compromised?"

Yuuri looked at him. "Compromising my safety? What does that mean? Will I be in danger?"

Ulrike lowered her gaze somewhat. "It is not for me to tell," she apologized. "The Great One wishes for Our Majesty to find out for himself. This is a test of his character as king, and it can not be won by having other people tell him what it will consist of and how to master it. Then it would not be a test at all, now would it?"

Everyone was silent. That was true enough. So, a test of some sort awaited him? He wondered if it had anything to do with his approaching sixteenth birthday, the day he would become a man according to Mazoku standards and would have to choose a fate for himself?

"Is this something that he will have to do alone, or will we be permitted to assist him?" was Conrad's next question, and his tone of voice betrayed his concern for Yuuri. It made Yuuri warm inside, knowing that the great swordsman cared so much about him, but it also worried him because he knew that it was serious if it got Conrad worried.

Before Ulrike could answer, Wolfram took a step forward and held out a fisted hand in cold determination. "I don't care if this is a test for only Yuuri, I will go with him and protect him nonetheless! He's my fiancé, hence my responsibility. I will not be able to forgive myself if that wimp gets himself killed simply because I wasn't there to babysit him."

Yuuri smiled appreciatively. "Wolfram... Thank you. I guess..." Sometimes it was hard to know if the things Wolfram said were compliments or insults.

Ulrike took Wolfram's fisted hand in her both and looked him deep into the eyes, that ever-radiant, loving smile on her childish face. "Fear not, von Biedefeld-kyou," she assured him, "the test that the Great One speaks of is not one which Heika will have to go through alone. He may take anyone he wishes with him."

Wolfram looked a bit relieved at that.

"We will all go with him," Conrad said with emphasis and turned to give Yuuri a reassuring smile. "We will never leave your side, Heika. Remember, I have sworn to always protect you with my life if necessary. I am not about to break that promise - not for any reason. And I know that Wolfram feels the same."

"Of course I do!" Wolfram exclaimed in a slightly offended tone.

"And I am sure that Gwendal is of the same sentiment," Conrad continued, glancing at his half-brother with a sly glint in his friendly eyes.

Gwendal glared at him for a second, then he snorted indignantly and turned the other way, saying nothing.

Yuuri smiled affectionately at them all. "Thank you," he said with warmth in his voice. "I am so happy that I got to meet you all. You mean a lot to me. You are my family."

Gwendal and Conrad seemed surprised at that revelation, but Wolfram just smiled knowingly and nodded once.

"Heika!"

A voice from outside the shrine reached them, and even though they could just hear it faintly its urgency was apparent to them all, and with one look of mutual consent they turned and ran out of the shrine, Ulrike anxiously following them at a slower pace.

"Heika!"

They stopped just outside the entrance to the shrine.

"Damaskos, what is it?" Yuuri asked, feeling anxious when he saw the soldier's agitated and aghast look. "Nanika atta?" (_Did something happen?_)

Damaskos tried to catch his breath after running all the way from the castle. "Hai!" he exhaled violently. "Word came from our spies in Cimaron that a person resembling the Demon King has been arrested in Small Cimaron!"


End file.
